The Biggest Design Trends of 2016

2016 is in full swing, and already it looks like it’s going to be a promising year.

With the new year ahead, we thought we’d round up what we think will be the biggest design trends of 2016.

We’ll also be rounding up the biggest development trends of 2016, so if developing is more your thing, then keep your eye out for the post next week!

But for now, let’s chart what’ll be the biggest design trends of 2016…

User Experience

Lets face it, we’re all on the internet, or our phone, or smartwatch (if you have one) throughout the day.

So it makes sense that user experience will be key when designing websites and apps in 2016.

UX has always been a staple in web design, but more and more we’re seeing apps on the market which feature a stronger focus on UX, and finally UX is getting the focus it deserves.

Here at Roller we always put UX at the heart of any project we take on, and we can’t wait to see how UX gains more focus in 2016.

Context Focussed User Interface

Much like UX, UI is becoming even more important to both designers and users a like.

Context Focussed User Interface simply means taking into account not only how the app or website is being used, but where it is being used and how that might have an affect on usage.

A context-aware mobile app would have the power to tailor its content when it recognises certain locations, times or activities with no effort from the user, and we think we’ll definitely be seeing a lot more of this in apps this year.

Simple Colour Schemes

Now this might be a trend that seems too simple to be true, but don’t underestimate the power of a good colour scheme.

However this isn’t a new trend, as you probably noticed 2015 was a year full of simple colour schemes and the appreciation of the ‘less is more’ inclination.

Simple colour schemes are something that we always like to incorporate into projects and not only simple colour schemes, but picking colours that further develop and define your brand and reflect your brands values.

When it comes to colour schemes, everyone has different opinions on what looks nice, but with a simple colour scheme it’s very hard to go wrong.

Simple Navigation and the Burger Menu

Colour schemes aren’t the only things that’ll be kept simple this year.

Simple navigation is the key to improving most websites, responsive websites and mobile apps, and 2016 looks set to be the year that navigation woes are banished.

Enter the Burger Menu. You’ve probably seen these 3 lines popping up in the corner of most pages and apps and that comes as no surprise to designers, as this is possibly the tidiest menu option around.

Responsive Design

Responsive design should be a given by now.

Unfortunately though there’s still websites out there that don’t take their responsiveness into account when designing. You probably still encounter websites that don’t adapt to you phone or tablet.

We can only hope that this will be changed in 2016, and responsive design will become a key trend on 2016.

Rich Animations

While some app and websites seem a bit behind with their designs, some seem leaps ahead.

Usually the ones that are ahead feature some form of animation or parallax scrolling, because both of these will be big in 2016.

Animations aren’t just fancy scrolling either, and more and more we’re noticing and incorporating both small and large animations into projects.

Whether its small animations like spinners and hover tools, or large animations such as a loading icon, pop-up or motion animation, we’re sure they’ll be lots more of them around in the coming months.

Interactivity, VR and AR,

Interactivity has always been a big part of app development as it’s in their nature to be interactive on some level.

But VR and AR are a new ball game all together, which means designing for VR and AR will be a completely new experience in 2016, and we can’t wait.

With 2016 being the year of VR and featuring a whole host of new VR developments we’re excited to start designing VR applications.

Social Sharing Buttons

You may be wondering why this is a trend of 2016, and you’d be quite right in thinking that these little buttons have been around for quite a while.

But it’s a new consideration of them that will be key in 2016. Social Media isn’t going away anytime soon, and if anything the social media audience are stronger than ever, so it makes sense to incorporate social buttons onto your app and website, and where and we’re sure they’ll be even more of them around this year.

It goes without saying that design is vital in any project, whatever the platform or subject. Here at Roller we love incorporating new design trends into projects and keeping track of the latest techniques.

If you’re thinking about creating a new website this year, or kicking off 2016 by getting an app, then get in touch with us today!